Île Plate

Île Plate, also known as Flat Island, is a small island off the north coast of Mauritius. It is located 11 kilometres north of Cap Malheureux, the mainland's northernmost point. The small nature reserve of Coin de Mire lies between the two islands. The similarly sized Île Ronde lies 13 kilometres further east.

Two small islets, Îlot Gabriel and Pigeon Rock, lie close to the shore of Île Plate.

As its name suggests, Île Plate is low-lying, and is in danger of possible submersion due to the historic rise in the sea-level. The island's structures include one of Mauritius's few operating lighthouses and a cemetery, the latter of which is testimony to the island's use as a quarantine station during the 19th century. There is also a small army base on the island.

Île Plate is a popular venue for snorkellers, and access to the island is possible via chartered yacht from the mainland. In addition the Pigeon Rock area harbors an internationally famous dive site called The Shark Pit where divers can witness sharks swirling within the pit for the rich oxygen available due to the crushing waves against the cliffs of Pigeon Rock ^[1]

Coordinates: 19°52′47″S 57°40′05″E / 19.8797°S 57.668°E / -19.8797; 57.668

References

↑ "Shark Pit Diving spot" entry on Bloosee.

External links

Flat Island map on Bloosee.

Outer islands of Mauritius

Outer islands

Islets

Mauritius	Coin du Mire Île Albatross Île aux Benitiers Île aux Cerfs Île aux Lubines Île aux Serpents Île aux Tonneliers Île Barkley Île Crabe Île D'Ambre Île de L'Est Île de la Passe Île des deux Cocos Île Fournaise Île Fregate Île Plate Île Roches Île Ronde Île Sancho Île Vacoas Îlot du Mort Îlot Seychelles Le Souffleur Mouchoir Rouge Pointe Bernache Reservoir Islets

Rodrigues	Île aux Chats Île aux Cocos Île aux Diamants Île aux Fous Île aux Pintades Île aux Sables Île Caterine Île Crabe Île deux Fréres Île Frégate Île Gombranie Île Hermitage Île Marianne Île Paille en Queue Île Plat

Fishing banks

Claims
Disputes

Chagos Archipelago
- sovereignty dispute
Tromelin

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, March 29, 2013. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.